Week Eleven: November 15th to 21st

Pre-Week: What better way to kick-off the Parent-Teacher Conference week than with a strong showing like The Mandible? This joint-contrivance between the husband and wife team who reside in our domicile will surely provide many discussion points, and no small measure of distraction during our frank discussions later this week.

I already have some heavy competition for next week's entry--perhaps not surprisingly, considering the proximity to Thanksgiving--but feel free to attack the post and my e-mail inbox (or even text messaging, for those precious few to know my cell phone number.) The deadline for next week's voting is Sunday, November 21st at 4 PM. See you out there!

Week in Review: Not much to report from the kids on this one, though they do enjoy making weekly recommendations for new animals and designs. Many former students, the alumni of last year's Beard Blog edition, return to my room before school at least once a week to check on the progress of my facial hair. Must make the teacher feel good to know he is contributing something to the interest of students at his school....

Week Ten: November 8th to 14th

Pre-Week: This week's entry, suggested by my friend Matt from Utah, is an homage to the somewhat-fallen Red Sox hero, Big Papi. Of course, many people will notice a slight difference over which I have little control, but I still find this representation to be fairly accurate. Not only that, but I get to spend the first two days of the week at a conference for teachers from around the state. Maybe they'll ask me to jump in the batting cage and drop some dingers on the hotel lobby.

Get your vote in for next week by Sunday, November 14th at 4:00 PM. Bonus: I have Parent-Teacher Conferences this week. I would ask you to be kind in your selections, but I believe that may fall on deaf ears. Have at it!

Week In Review: Perhaps because I was not wearing the Sox hat, few recognized my uncanny resemblance to the Papi himself. I wanted to step into the cage and launch a few PED-free bombs over the imaginary Green Monster just to show them what was what. No such luck, as I live nowhere near Fenway Park and would not be allowed on the field, with that horrible Babe Ruth baseball season to my credit. (For those whose ears the legend has not reached, I once trumped all comers--except two others on my own team--with what must have been a then-league record thirteen whiffs. I was Mark Reynolds before it was in vogue; which, presumably, would make my compatriots Ryan Howard and Adam Dunn: we three with none of their power but all of their big-swinging style.)

Still, this beard celebrated the re-upping of Ortiz with the Sox, just shortly before its facial incarnation. Good timing. Now, to work on my swing....

Week Nine: November 1st to 7th

Pre-Week: This look was actually a husband and wife, jointly-concocted iteration of now-distant memories from our late High School and College years. We present: The English Professor. Though I almost captured the imperious and aloof look so many of them wear as skin masks, I hardly did the clothing justice. After all, it is not easy to conjure an elbow-patched tweed jacket on a whim. If only....

Voting on next week's entry begins now. Feel free to e-mail me or post a comment on this blog page. The voting window closes on Sunday, November 7th at 4 PM. Don't be late!

Week in Review: Not surprisingly, this pretentious facial motif garnered little attention. It did allow me to build a stronger beard base for future weeks (and reach some of the bearding goals many loyal followers have laid out for me.) A few of my students groused about the lack of design, wondering where the river on my neck was and why I just grew a regular beard, so they are all-in on this game. My original idea was to have them do the voting, and that may yet turn out to be an enticing option. For now, I will continue to submit myself to the whims of the faithful few followers.